On The Beat
by Izzyaro
Summary: Nanu deals with Team Skull, and the trouble they cause, in his own inimitable way. Reposted because of troll bots.


**Nanu is easily my favourite character in Sun and Moon. This is complete for now, but I might be adding more oneshots in the future.**

**Edit 05/05/19: Deleted and reposted in an attempt to stop troll bots.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

* * *

Contrary to popular belief, Nanu didn't hate Team Skull.

Not to say that he liked them either. They caused too much trouble for that. Still, he could recognise the difference between hardened criminals, and a bunch of kids with no clue what to do with themselves. He kept a close enough eye on them to curb the worst of their behaviour, but otherwise was content to let them be. Better they make a mess of Po Town than the rest of Ula'ula Island.

It hadn't taken the Skulls long to get used to the idea. Sure, they'd protested at first, but they wised up after Nanu crushed their strongest teams with minimal effort. Their boss was a stubborn hothead but he wasn't an idiot, and he'd got the message soon enough. He looked after the kids, and Nanu made sure that they all kept within reasonable limits. Most of them had got the idea sooner rather than later.

Of course, there were a few idiots in every bunch.

"I said, hand it over!"

Nanu sighed. The kid was one of the older ones, late teens if he was any judge, and known to Nanu as a trouble-maker. He knew Guzma had clashed with the boy too, and while he and the Skull leader didn't agree on much, they could agree that young Kenzo was a bad egg. Unlike most of the others, he'd joined Team Skull out of choice, and he had been very vocal about playing by the few rules Nanu had put in place.

Which was probably why he was now holding a knife to Nanu's chest.

Nanu only had himself to blame. He knew better than to let his guard down, even on something as insignificant as a trip to the shop. It never would have happened a few years ago. 100kr would have been appalled.

"Hey, you listenin'?"

Nanu dragged his attention back, to find the knife now hovering around in front of his face, and he couldn't quite suppress a smirk.

"You look like you know what you're doing."

Kenzo blinked, and Nanu took advantage of his confusion to assess his options. He didn't have any Pokémon, his partners having better things to do than babysit him on a five minute walk, and the paper bag of groceries in his arms limited his options.

Then again, he wasn't dealing with a cold-blooded killer. His attacker was a teenage boy with berries for brains who thought waving a knife around made him a threat.

Nanu sighed again, and threw the groceries in Kenzo's face.

The boy stumbled back with a yell, his free hand clawing at his eyes, and Nanu took two quick steps to the side. A well-practiced twist and palm strike sent the knife spinning through the air, and Nanu hooked his foot behind the kid's ankles and shoved. Kenzo hit the ground with another shout, and Nanu folded his arms.

"You're not very good at this, are you?"

His smirk slipped at the sight of the loathing in the boy's eyes. It wasn't the look of a dumb kid.

"You'll pay for that, old man," he spat.

"Stay down," Nanu began, but Kenzo had already grabbed for a Great Ball.

"Pinsir, get him."

The Bug-type materialised in a flash of red, and Nanu took a step back. Pinsir's pincers clashed angrily, but it made no move to attack. Nanu's heart pounded in his rib cage, but years of training let him keep a steady eye on the Pinsir and raise his voice.

"Think about what you're doing, kid. No going back from this."

Kenzo scrambled to his feet, his teeth bared in a snarl. "You think I care? You asked for it. Pinsir, use Slash!"

Nanu tensed, but forced himself to remain still. Pinsir's eyes hadn't left his, and though it let out a low hum, it still didn't move.

"Pinsir! Obey me!"

Nanu ignored him. The boy wasn't a threat. The Pokémon flinched, glancing back at its trainer, and Nanu took a step forward. "Haven't seen you around before," he said quietly. "You're new?"

Pinsir nodded, then twitched as Kenzo's voice rang out.

"I am your master! Obey me you stupid bug!"

Pinsir hesitated, but it lowered its claws, and Nanu risked fixing Kenzo with a glare. The boy shrank back, and Nanu took a vicious satisfaction in the surprise in his eyes.

"Pokémon don't hurt humans," he said, and was pleased by how calm his voice was. Next to him, Pinsir chirped, and Nanu rested a hand on the rough carapace. "And it doesn't have to obey you. Especially when it chose you."

Kenzo's eyes widened, and Nanu let his smirk turn savage. This was why it was worth listening to the young Skulls' gossip. "It trusted you," he continued. "And you've betrayed it. Why should it do a damn thing you ask?"

Kenzo gaped, but at the question he seemed to recover himself. "Because it's mine! I caught it!" He waved the Great Ball in the air, and Pinsir hummed with unmistakeable distress. Nanu glanced at it, then back at Kenzo.

"Don't think it likes that arrangement any more."

Pinsir shook itself, pincers clicking together in agitation, and Kenzo's face flushed with rage. "I don't care, I'm still its master!"

Nanu stepped forward until he was between Kenzo and the Pokémon. "You're not fit to be master of any Pokémon," he said calmly. "It deserves better."

"Shut up!" Kenzo screamed. "It's none of your business!"

Nanu snorted. "Made it my business when you threatened to kill me." He didn't bother mincing words. The smallest child knew how dangerous even the weakest Pokémon could be, and this Pinsir was not a weak Pokémon. Kenzo had known exactly what he was doing. The boy's scowl darkened, but Nanu wasn't finished. "And in case you'd forgotten, I'm the Kahuna. Everything on this island is my business."

Judging by the way Kenzo stiffened, he had forgotten about that little detail. Nanu hadn't wanted or asked for the job, but he'd got it anyway, and he was damn well going to do it properly. He took another step forward.

"Last chance," he growled. "Leave the ball. Get out of here."

If looks could kill, Kenzo wouldn't have needed Pinsir any more. Nanu, who had faced far worse over the years, just stared back, and eventually Kenzo's shoulders slumped.

"Fine," he spat. "Take it. Damn thing isn't worth it."

He threw the ball at Nanu, who snapped out a hand and caught it. Pinsir returned itself with a grateful hum, and Nanu set the ball carefully in his pocket before looking back at Kenzo.

"Get out of here," he said quietly. "Before I change my mind and charge you with something."

It wasn't like the boy hadn't given him cause, but he'd already lost his Pokémon. It might be enough of a message. Dismissing Kenzo from mind, Nanu turned to scowl at his scattered groceries. Some of them were salvageable. The rest could wait until tomorrow. The Pokémon food was fine, and that was all the Meowth would care about. He sighed, and walked over to collect what he could.

He should have known better than to take his eyes off an enemy.

Instinct suddenly made him lunge to the side, but not fast enough to avoid the blade that tore across his side. Nanu choked back a cry and spun on his heel, hands raised to defend or attack, but Kenzo had already lurched out of arm's reach. The boy seemed shocked at his own recklessness. For a moment he stood looking between Nanu and the bloodstained knife, then he let out a muffled squeak and ran for his life.

Nanu took a single step after him, but his side screamed a protest, and he paused. Chasing after an armed attacker, even if they were just a stupidly arrogant brat, while injured and without any Pokémon, was asking for trouble. Even as he watched, Kenzo disappeared into the trees, leaving Nanu alone in the road.

First things first. Nanu pulled his shirt away from the gash, grimacing as blood continued to ooze from it. The cut wasn't too deep, but it was longer than he'd realised, and stung like hell. Nanu shrugged off his jacket and pinned it against his side with his arm, suppressing a curse at the resulting throbbing. He'd had much worse, but it wasn't something to get used to.

It was only a few minutes' walk back to the station, but Nanu was shaking when he finally pushed open the door. It had been a while since he'd received a proper injury. The Meowth turned as one to look at him, and he held up a bag.

"Didn't forget."

There was a pause, then Persian jumped down off the counter. The Meowth parted to let her through, and she stopped right in front of him. Ignoring the bag of food completely, she studied his bloodstained shirt, then fixed him with a sharp look. Nanu sighed.

"Some stupid kid," he muttered. He dropped the food by the door, and rested a hand on her head. Her purr did not sound approving, and she nudged him towards the sofa before disappearing round the back and returning a few seconds later with the first aid kit. Nanu scowled, but her glare was equally implacable, and he sighed.

"Fine."

Cleaning and taping the injury was as painful as he remembered, and bandages were as awkward as ever, but it wasn't too long before Nanu was able to lie back on the sofa without worrying about getting blood everywhere. The Meowth had managed to feed themselves, and Persian was a comforting warmth by his side. He rested a hand on her silky fur, and finally allowed his aching to relax.

Something would have to be done about Kenzo. Nanu could tolerate a lot from Team Skull, but Kenzo had crossed the line from troublesome to dangerous. Guzma could handle him if he went back to Po Town, but the boy wasn't safe to be around. Nanu's side throbbed as if in agreement, and he closed his eyes. He'd wander over to Po Town in the morning. Or possibly the afternoon.

The porch creaked, and Nanu dragged himself back from the edge of sleep in time to see Guzma at the doorway. The young man didn't come in, but fixed him with a frown.

"You all right?"

"I look all right to you?" Nanu muttered. His side throbbed, and he gritted his teeth. "Just a scratch."

Guzma snorted and took a step inside. "Hate to see what you'd call serious then."

Nanu scowled up at him. "Whadda you want?"

"Nothin'," Guzma snapped. "Just to see you ain't popped off. Not like I want a dead body stinkin' up the place."

"Well I'm not going anywhere," Nanu growled. Any other time and he might humour the kid, but he was sore and fed up and wanted a nap. "So clear off and let me sleep."

Persian let out a low, threatening snarl, and Guzma wisely took a step back. "Okay, okay, keep your hair on. I'm outta here."

Nanu scowled and slumped back against the cushions. Maybe now he'd finally get some peace and quiet.

Then he realised he hadn't heard the door close, and cracked one eye open. Guzma still hovered in the doorway, and for a moment Nanu saw something that just might have been concern in his eyes, before it was replaced by his usual smirk.

"Man, you're out of it."

"You're supposed to be out of here," Nanu growled. "Scram."

"You gonna make me, old man?" He snorted. "Hell, you couldn't move one of those Meowth, right now."

Nanu scowled, and pushed himself onto one elbow. His side screamed at him, sending black spots dancing at the corners of his vision, but he didn't move his gaze from Guzma's. "Get. Out."

Guzma's cocky grin faltered slightly. For a moment he hesitated, then he shrugged. "Fine." He turned away again, but this time Nanu kept an eye open. This time, he was going to make damn sure the kid actually left.

Sure enough, Guzma once again turned back.

"Hey-"

"You deaf, or just an idiot?" Nanu snarled. "I told you-"

"The kid's gone."

Nanu blamed pain and dizziness for the second it took to get it. "What?"

"The kid's gone," Guzma repeated. "He told us what he did. I kicked him out."

Nanu stared. Say what you would about Guzma, and Nanu said a lot of things, but he never sent away any he considered his. Half of them didn't have anyone else. Guzma shifted under the scrutiny, and folded his arms.

"He wasn't like the rest of 'em," he muttered. "They're kids who got a bad deal. He was just an asshole."

"Not gonna argue," Nanu mumbled, but the words came on instinct. None of this made any sense. He rubbed a hand over his throbbing head and forced his thoughts into something resembling coherence. "Took you long enough."

Guzma kicked at the wall, but there was no heat in the movement. "That's none of your business," he growled. "Anyway, that's done. Stay outta Po Town."

It was how he ended every conversation, but this time it was half-hearted at best. Nanu watched him turn to leave, then made a decision.

"Hey."

Guzma glanced back, frown firmly in place. "What? Thought you wanted to get rid of me."

Nanu ignored him. He glanced at Persian, who flicked her tail, but bounded up on to the sofa with a Great Ball in her mouth.

"Old man…"

"Catch," Nanu interrupted.

Guzma was startled enough that he had to lunge forward. Nanu sank back against the cushions with a grimace, carefully ignoring Persian's exasperated gaze. "Deserves a trainer that appreciates it."

Guzma stared at the ball, then at Nanu. "Wondered what happened to it," he muttered. His grip tightened on the ball, and he stuffed it into a pocket. "You're an idiot. Gonna crush you with this one."

"S'what you think," Nanu muttered. "Can't do worse by it than that idiot."

The end of the sentence was more than a little slurred, as pain and exhaustion caught up with him, but he still heard Guzma snort.

"Not likely."

Nanu's eyes drifted shut, and it was an effort to open them again. "Tell me if he comes back."

There was a grunt at that. "I'll deal with him myself."

Fair enough. Either way, Nanu was too tired to argue. Persian curled up at his side again, and he closed his eyes. "Shut the door on your way out."

Guzma grumbled something under his breath, but the door was drawn shut very quietly. Persian purred, and Nanu let out a long breath.

So. No need to visit Po Town after all. Good to know. No need to worry about the idiot either. Even better. The Meowth were happy, and Persian would forgive him soon enough. He probably wouldn't be let out on his own for a while, but Nanu couldn't bring himself to mind. He rested his head back, and surrendered to sleep.

* * *

**Any feedback would be very much appreciated.**


End file.
